George WeigelSome palm species have a decent shot of surviving Harrisburg winters.

Q: Are there any types of palm trees that would survive in the Harrisburg area? I want to plant tropical plants around my pool.

A: A few palms are rated as winter hardy to Zone 6, which includes all of the Harrisburg area. With the warming climate, about half of our area is now in warmer Zone 7, which should increase the odds that palms will survive.

The problem is that we can still go below zero, which can be enough to kill a palm that's survived a few winters. Most local garden centers don't carry palms because it's kind of a borderline proposition. That may change if the warming continues.

You may need to cover even the hardiest of palms during really cold spells in winter. Burlap barriers help. Even better is choosing a warm microclimate around the house, i.e. next to a west- or south-facing brick or stone wall.

A few species to check out are the Trachycarpus palms (Trachycarpus fortunei and Trachycarpus takil), Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) and sabal palm, especially a cultivar named 'McCurtain.'